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Kristen Fischer, Writer, Editor


Name: Kristen Fischer

Hometown: Harrington Park, NJ

Current Residence (City, State): Point Pleasant, NJ

Education: I have a BA in Environmental Studies

Professional Background (brief, please): Spent a year and a half after graduation working as a reporter. I wanted to see if I wanted to use my degree at all and worked in the communications department at an environmental company. I knew I didn’t want to be in the mud so I got a part-time job at another newspaper while I boosted my freelance business.

What you wanted to be when you grew up: A cashier and a dolphin activist. Hey, I was just a kid.

What you are: I’m a writer. An editor. An author!

Brief Summary of your Start Up: I specialize in copywriting. Because of my diverse background, I can create technical materials and due to my newspaper experience, I have a journalistic side. I can write anything!

Company Website? www.kristenfischer.com and www.creativelyselfemployed.com

What inspired you? I knew that being at a corporation wasn’t for me. While I liked my work as a reporter and putting together scientifical reports for an environmental firm, I knew I wanted to be my own boss. I had a few creative friends online that inspired me. My husband was my support.

How long have you been in business? About 3 years.

How did you fund it? Didn’t need much funding as a writer. But I had a part-time job working nights on the copy editing desk at the Asbury Park Press while I grew my business. A cold-turkey jump was not the answer for me! Having enough money to get nice business cards, for example, was key. I built up slowly and steadily.

Do you have a Fairy Godmother (or Mentor)? If I associate my husband with the word fairy, he won’t be so happy. He’s not a mentor, either, but he is the person who believes in me and supports me. My father-in-law is a huge support as well, as is my mother. I haven’t relied on many mentors, per se. I know what I need to do. I just need support to do those things, and I have a wonderful team of supportive family members.

Do you belong to any Business Organization or Networking Groups? I was a member of a local PR organization but I found it to be everyone out for themselves. I like a lot of online forums. www.Startupnation.com and www.Freelanceswitch.com have great forums to interact with others. And the people at www.howdesign.com have welcomed me with open arms.

Current Business Challenge? To acquire more high-profile clients. To get my self-published book Creatively Self-Employed: How Writers and Artists Deal with Career Ups and Downs secured with a publisher and on every book shelf. And to learn from the publisher who is releasing my second book Ramen Noodles, Rent and Resumes: An After-College Guide to Life.

What are you doing about it? Marketing myself. Reaching out to publishers. Working with my existing publisher.

Favorite motivational quote: Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than the ones you did.

Family? Have one☺ Cat included!

If so, how do you balance family and business? If I’m busy I am open and tell them. Most of the time they understand. My family is very much a part of what I do because they are all supportive.

Favorite book? I have too many. I just finished Ladies Who Launch and Smashed. Duct Tape Marketing and Paint it Black are next. What a mix, eh?

What do you do to relax? I love going to the beach. And venturing over to Starbucks.

What do you want to change most about your world? I want to find a better sense of balance so I don’t get so exhausted from the work that I love. I get too overwhelmed sometimes because I have this insatiable sense of drive. But it can work against me, too.

What are you most proud of? Professionally, I am most proud of my accomplishments as an author. Personally, I am most proud of my family for overcoming so many obstacles and being such beautiful people.

What advice would you like to offer other StartUp Princesses?
I really think it’s impractical to say “Just quit your day job and jump in!” I recommend doing research and being practical about a jump into self-employment. Do something on the side to get your feet wet. Consider your family and your finances. Institute a support system. And be able to handle all aspects of business, including accounting and marketing.

Favorite Magic Wand (tool/resource)? The Internet! I recently read the Ladies Who Launch book and highly recommend it!

If you could design a tiara, what precious stones would you use? I have no idea. Something natural looking. Nothing too glittery.

Would you be interested in being a Fairy Godmother to another woman entrepreneur? Maybe.

What business subjects would you feel comfortable mentoring in? Writing. Getting Business.

Would you be interested in going to lunch with other women entrepreneurs for a “networking tea party”?
Maybe. Where?

Would you be willing to be a facilitator of such an event?
Maybe. Keep me posted☺

  Startup Princess is an international network committed to empowering Women Entrepreneurs by offering resources for women in business to support, mentor, collaborate, learn from, and inspire one another. In 2006, after struggling to raise funding for an initial startup business venture, Kelly King Anderson recognized an important market niche existed for reliable resources educating women desiring to start and grow successful businesses, thus Startup Princess was developed.

Successful women entrepreneurs understand that for every business venture, they are in charge of creating, organizing, developing, managing, and assuming all the risks associated with their enterprise. That can seem quite intimidating but as other women business owners will tell you, it’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it! Success is within your grasp and Startup Princess is here to help.

First, join as a member of Startup Princess and start building a solid foundation. Membership entitles you to a listing in the Startup Princess Online Directory where we list women owned businesses. You’ll also access exclusive content like articles, videos, and audio straight from your email inbox. Coupled with feature interviews, discounts on events, networking connections, and press opportunities, your Startup Princess membership will give any woman entrepreneur a great start for her business!

Then, take advantage of Touchpoint, our annual business conference for women entrepreneurs. Practical planning meets sky-high inspiration at this high-impact event for women business owners to network and develop their approach to business with wisdom and creative direction from other women entrepreneurs across the country.

Need a little help taking your business to the next step? Wish you had a fairy godmother like Cinderella offering you a helping hand? Now you can! Startup Princess is the home of Fairy Godmother Consulting, volunteer mentors sharing tips and insights to bless the lives of other women entrepreneurs.

Startup Princess can offer many benefits to women in business from future women business owners to successful women entrepreneurs. Please call or fill out our contact form with questions, concerns, or general interest and let us help you by giving you full access to everything Startup Princess has to offer!